1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a planar probe for the coupling of ultrasonic signals to a planar component to be tested by means of water jet technology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A planar probe of the type mentioned at the outset is described in WO-A-2008/106535. The planar probe is particularly designed for testing the edges of a structure and comprises a linear array transducer, which is connected with a housing and is arranged above a tapered flow chamber. The tapered flow chamber forms a slot for a liquid coupling medium between the linear array transducer and the structure to be tested, if the linear array transducer is positioned over an edge of the structure. A lower surface of the flow chamber lies directly on the surface of the structure to be tested. Also, the planar probe is attached pivotably to a retainer around its longitudinal axis.
A modular design of an ultrasonic probe is known from EP-A-0 164 168, which can be coupled to a component to be tested by means of water jet technology.
In the case of this embodiment the flow chamber tapers in the direction of a slot-shaped water outlet opening, so that a lower surface of the flow chamber has a small surface area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,969 relates to an ultrasonic liquid jet probe. This probe also comprises a preflow chamber with at least one water inlet, as well as one flow chamber downstream of at least one water outlet opening. The flow chamber is designed on the outside surface in the shape of a truncated cone, in which the lower surface is designed as a circular surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,353 a fluidless acoustic coupling of an ultrasonic sensor for the testing of an internal structure of a component is described. An ultrasonic transducer is thereby positioned by means of an automatic positioning device such as a controllable handling device.
A further ultrasonic probe arrangement is described, for example, in WO 2006/122798 A1. This comprises preflow and filter chambers, which overflow into a jet nozzle, in which a probe is enclosed by the preflow or filter chambers and flowed around by water.
The arrangement is indeed characterized by excellent flow properties; however, the replacement of the probe is expensive and connected with the disassembly of the filter or preflow chambers.
For certain applications, for example, the ultrasonic testing of planar components such as plates, in which the probe arrangement rests on the upper surface of the planar component to be tested and is moved along it, the weight of the probe also is of significance, so that there is a need for a probe arrangement with low weight and good sliding properties.
Based on this, the task, which underlies embodiments of the present invention, is to further develop a planar probe of the type mentioned at the outset, so that the ultrasonic testing of planar components can be simplified.